His Holiness Benedict XVI has published hid first important teaching. Against what many critics thought, it wasn't a condemn or denunciation of the many evils in the world. His first encyclical is about LOVE.

"In a world where the name of God is sometimes associated with vengeance or even a duty of hatred and violence, this message is both timely and significant. For this reason, I wish in my first Encyclical to speak of the love which God lavishes upon us and which we in turn must share with others."

"Love is the light--and in the end, the only light--that can always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working. Love is possible, and we are able to practise it because we are created in the image of God. To experience love and in this way to cause the light of God to enter into the world--this is the invitation I would like to extend with the present Encyclical."

I'll print it out and read it. I'm also reading one of his books. He has a good style of writing. Is anybody else going to read the encyclica? A discussion about it is probably more interesting than most a.net topics.

I took a very brief look at it yesterday when this thread was first posted, and it struck me as having a certain preachy/lecturing tone to it.

Now, since it is the Pope writing, I daresay that a "preachy" tone is not necessarily inappropriate. However, I must say that it was a bit off-putting. Who is he or anyone else to lecture me on how to live my life?

On the other hand, out of interest and to see whether I agree with what he says, I do intend to read the rest of it, or at least the bulk of it, today.

I am extremely surprised by him so far... He was always said to be THE hardliner in the Vatican, something he certainly also was, but at the same time I guess also that he is one of the most intelligent people we have.

Anyway, he seems to "rule" much more moderately than I would have thought, so my initial concerns were not justified so far.